Nelson provides heroics in Sound Tigers' overtime win

Staff reports

Updated 12:22 am, Saturday, April 13, 2013

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Defenseman Matt Donovan assisted on all three Sound Tigers goals, including Brock Nelson's game-winner with 2:18 left in overtime, as Bridgeport came back to beat the Syracuse Crunch 3-2 at the Onondaga County War Memorial at Oncenter on Friday night. With the win, the Sound Tigers improve to 31-30-6-5 overall. The Crunch fall to 41-20-6-5 with the loss.

Nelson won the game for the Sound Tigers in the extra session after Nino Niederreiter scored on the power play midway through the third period to tie the score. Nelson took a feed from Donovan, skated across the Crunch blue line and fired a shot over Syracuse goaltender Cedrick Desjardins' glove for his 24th goal of the season, tying the Sound Tigers' single-season record for goals by a rookie set by Rhett Rakhshani during the 2010-11 campaign.

The Crunch got on the board just 2:09 into the game when Dan Sexton deflected Tanner Richard's drive past goaltender Rick DiPietro for his ninth goal of the season to give Syracuse an early 1-0 lead.

The Sound Tigers responded at the 7:25 mark of the opening frame to tie the score. Donovan intercepted a clearing feed from the Crunch zone and found Scott Campbell, who sat all alone in front of Desjardins and backhanded the puck in for his sixth goal of the year to tie the game at one.

DiPietro made 28 saves to earn the win as his record improves to 9-7-0. Desjardins made 31 saves in the loss.

The Sound Tigers return to action Tuesday when they host the Portland Pirates at 7.

NOTES: The Sound Tigers are 7-1-0 in their last eight games against Syracuse dating back to the 2009-10 season. ... DiPietro made his ninth straight start in net. ... The Sound Tigers went 1-for-4 on the power play; Syracuse went 0-for-1 ... The Sound Tigers are tied for 10th place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind Norfolk for the eighth playoff spot with four games remaining.